Two words: School sucks. Actually, it's not too bad (and also somewhat self-inflicted) but it has prevented me from getting this done until now, so as far as you guys are concerned it sucks.
Still, it's done now. Enjoy!
This was actually originally supposed to be the prelude to chapter 3, but it got so long I decided to just post it as it is. I've done one which was all Bleach (near enough), so I thought I might as well do one which was all (or mostly) HP – but starring my own characters, because I can. The next one might take a while, since it's so long. Or, I might decide to post it in a series of shorter pieces. I don't know yet.
Okay, okay. So I messed up the timeline pretty badly here. However, I'm sure you'll agree that it doesn't matter too much. I'm just going to assume that everything in the main story is happening in 2004 (after the time-travelling, with present day being 2009/2010), and everything will be fine. Probably. Hopefully.
One more thing. In the last chapter I put Orihime in Gryffindor. I'm sure there will be a few of you who disagree with my decision but, frankly, I don't care. I know I say that a lot (and it's probably not endearing me an awful lot) but it's true. I am telling the story as it presents itself in my mind, with the characters as I perceive them. Speaking of which, my reasoning for placing Orihime in Gryffindor should become evident later on in the story, or it might not. It depends on how I feel.
Chapter III
"Well, that's that I suppose." Waffles sighed contently to himself as he snapped his desk shut, for the first time in months.
"I suppose sometimes paperwork just catches up with you... Hmm; now. What could this be?" He remarked to himself as a small, unremarkable book, bound in emerald green cloth, fell to the floor from his desk. He leaned down and picked the book up, and out of curiosity opened it to the first page. He recognised the untidy scrawl within as his own almost immediately.
"My old diary...? How did this get here?" He smiled to himself. "Well, it couldn't hurt I suppose. I've no more work to do, after all."
With that, he began to read, immersing himself in the swirling, ethereal mist that was his past...
April 24, 1984. 11:45 p.m.
What's... Going on? He shuddered as another wave of uneasiness shot through him. These guys... They weren't Hogwarts students; that much was certain. He followed silently as they made their way towards the school building, their masks glinting silver in what little moonlight happened upon them. As he did so, he wondered to himself what his punishment would be for being out so very late. I suppose I won't get in too much trouble – I am a prefect, after all... And anyway; if anyone asked he could always say that he wanted to visit the library to brush up on some counter-spell techniques. They were coming up to the school building now, after all. No-one would need to know what he had really been doing...
-Waffles shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts. They were indeed coming up to the school building, and it would be much harder to pursue the strange people when he had to watch out for Filch as well. He advanced slightly, hoping to make it through the huge door before it shut after them, so as to avoid having to reopen it himself. He crept slowly forwards for a moment, then dived behind a statue as one of them turned suddenly.
"Did you hear something, Eric?"
"I thought I did, but it doesn't look like there's anything there."
"Well, let's get a move on then. We need to get out of here as quickly as we can."
"Are you... Scared, Brock?"
"No. I am cautious. Something which a ham-handed fool like you would not understand. Now move."
With that, they set off once more, with Waffles following at a slightly more generous distance. Fortunately, the main corridor was quite wide, and there were plenty of shadows to hide in. More thoughts started running through his head then, as he racked his brains to find where he had seen masks like those before. Skull-masks... I'm sure they were – no. They would never have gotten into Hogwarts. But then again, these people obviously don't belong here...
Once again, he shook off his thoughts and raised his awareness. This time, however, he was a little too late.
"Well, well, well... What have we here?"
Waffles started and leapt backwards, flipping himself over one handed with an agility which shocked his inquisitor. Upon landing he drew his wand, adopting his usual fighting stance – which closely resembled that of a Kung-Fu master.
"Wh-who are you? What are you doing in Hogwarts?" His voice trembled a little, betraying his unease.
"I think the question should be 'what are you doing out of bed?', boy."
The masked man's patronising tone infuriated Waffles, filling him with rage and, with it, courage.
"I'm the one asking the questions. Not you. Unless, of course, you'd rather said questions were asked by the Headmaster?"
He noted that they responded rather strangely to this. He had been expecting his reference to Dumbledore to have an effect, but they seemed positively terrified. Until, that is, one of the more confident among them piped up,
"Ooh, going to set the old man on us, are you? Well, go ahead. But I'm warning you, you'll be dead by the time he arrives, and we'll be loooong gone." Too bad for you that even if you do call for help, none will come. Looks like the anti-magic effects here don't work for silence charms.
Waffles' eyes widened as he took in the man's words. Surely he was bluffing? Surely he wouldn't really kill him..? Steeling himself, he forced his voice to cease quivering.
"You wouldn't dare. Hogwarts school is renowned for being one of the safest places in the wizarding world. Do you really think that you could get away with committing a serious crime here?"
The man laughed coldly.
"This place isn't all that. I bet we could. In fact, how about we test it, eh?"
As he finished, the man drew his wand from his belt and, in one swift movement, flung a curse at Waffles, who deflected it on instinct, amazing himself with his lightning-fast reactions. He deepened his stance and narrowed his eyes, preparing himself for what was to come. Around his attacker, the four or so other masked men fanned out to form a semicircle in front of him.
"Well, it looks like not everyone here is good for nothing after all. Still, you won't get lucky again. Especially not if I use something for which there is no counter! Crucio!"
The Cruciatus curse? Surely not – that was- Waffles cut his thoughts short. Of course they would use the unforgivable curses. It made sense, after all, since they were prepared to kill him. However, his opponent had underestimated him. He thrust his wand hand forwards, accepting and embracing the pain of the curse for a fraction of a second so as to throw his opponent off balance, then flicked the tip of his wand, along with the curse, to one side. The energy from the spell dissipated harmlessly into a wall, as Waffles prepared his counter-attack.
He backed off a little, then sprung forwards, soaring through the air and corkscrewing his body so that his arms whirled like a tornado. At a word from him a long, thin beam of white light sprang forth from the tip of his wand, curving like a whip as he span. As it struck each of his aggressors they flew backwards with a flash of light, to land in a heap several metres away.
Waffles smiled faintly as he landed on his feet. His summer tutor would certainly be proud of him for executing such a difficult technique in a tight situation. However, his opponents weren't done yet.
"Is that all you've got, boy?"
The one named Brock stood up, brushing himself off. His mask lay on the ground, cracked by the force of Waffles' attack. Immediately, Waffles recognised him from the cover of The Daily Prophet a few days back. He had been listed as "particularly dangerous" in a list of suspected Death Eaters.
He took a step back, cursing himself for not realising sooner who the intruders were. He needed to call for the headmaster, and fast. He ducked as another of the Death Eaters staggered to his feet and flung a curse at him, then hand-sprung backwards down the corridor to avoid a wave of fireballs from another. Damn it... I need to get out of here... Calm down, man! You just need to relax... His breathing slowed, And assess the situation... He scanned the Death Eaters as the last of them rose shakily to his feet, his clever eyes darting back and forth as his brain calculated at a rate unachievable by any normal person. There were six of them in all, but they didn't seem particularly competent – probably just grunts. He could deal with them. The one with the broken mask, on the other hand... He had dangerous eyes. On top of that, he was certainly capable of killing. Speaking of which-
"Crucio!" Another Cruciatus curse – This chap is evidently a fan. This one seemed to be coming a little faster, too... There wasn't time to counter it properly, so he'd have to-
"Protego!"
Waffles flinched as the pain washed over him. Even with his shield charm taking the brunt of the attack, it was almost too much for him to bear. Brock tired quickly, though – the curse took a lot of stamina to maintain, so it was over before long. However, it still took its toll. Blast. This is getting to be a bit too much. I think I might have to get out soon. He leapt into the air, twisting his body to avoid another wave of hexes from the other Death Eaters. If only they'd lay off for a moment – I can't prepare an alarm spell with things like this. I need to- His thoughts were cut short as Brock addressed him directly, calling off his comrades.
"Well, boy, you're not as useless as I'd thought. So how about we make this a little more interesting? A little one-on-one; just you and me. What do you say?"
"Why would you ask for something like that? You're at an advantage as it is." Waffles was disconcerted. This was not the way Death Eaters were supposed to behave. He had to be planning something.
"Ah, but you see I need to go unnoticed here. And with you constantly trying to call your teachers," He motioned to Waffles' wand, which at that moment was forming the patterns required for the alarm spell,
"That's going to be a bit tricky. So, what do you say?"
Waffles frowned, then nodded.
"Very well. However, don't underestimate me just because I'm a student here. I'm stronger than I look."
"So am I, dear boy. So am I." the moment he finished speaking, Brock bowed quickly and leapt towards Waffles, who back-pedalled furiously to avoid being hit by the blades of light erupting from Brock's wand. He's fast! At this rate... his thoughts were cut short once again as Brock lunged forwards, catching him on the left shoulder. Waffles winced, jumping backwards to maintain distance, then swiftly healed himself. Brock stopped.
"My, my. This isn't what I was expecting. What on Earth happened to "Don't underestimate me?"
Waffles growled.
"That still stands. Allow me to show you..." He checked his footing, bracing his legs against the cold, hard stone. "...My true abilities!" Darting forwards, he feinted to the right, ducking as Brock sent a fireball towards him, then leapt to the left, kicking off the wall and soaring over Brock's head to land behind him. Immediately, he cast a trip jinx to take his balance, then levitated him upwards and bound his limbs with a body-bind curse before rapidly slashing the air between them with his wand, like a sword. The ferocious attack appeared to the other Death Eaters like a web of light, arcing and enveloping their leader as he fought against Waffles' binding curse. They looked to one another, unsure of what to do. The situation was unexpected, and they did not like unexpected things. Just as one of them raised his wand, though, there was a loud crack, like a glass window shattering, and Waffles was sent careering backwards, rolling over several times before landing on his back. He forced himself to sit up, then rose to his feet as his opponent brushed himself off.
"Well, that was unexpected. But not, unfortunately for you, particularly effective." Brock grinned.
How on Earth..? That attack should have all but killed him; what's going on?
"I see you're confused. Allow me to explain. You see, when fighting people at your level, attacks such as the one you just executed are all good and well. However, against people who have been raised to fight, and have known greater pain than you could ever imagine, it's a little... Weak. You need something more real to defeat someone like me. And, judging by your current state,"Waffles tried desperately to stop panting, but was unable to – he was exhausted,"That was the best you could do. And as such, I think it's about time I ended this little game. My apologies, boy, but unlike the Cruciatus curse, I doubt even someone like you could think up a counter for this. Avada Kedavra!"
Waffles gasped as he saw the green light begin to gather at the tip of Brock's wand. He raised his own to block it, though he already knew he didn't know how. He silently cursed his arm for moving so slowly, yet he knew that it made little difference. The green light was moving towards him now, and he hadn't the energy to dodge it. It was so fast, yet it seemed so slow. His wand reached the peak of its ascent, and he braced his arm. Perhaps if the spell struck his wand first, it would simply split in half like so many minor hexes and jinxes did. Or perhaps he should try his counter for the Cruciatus curse, in the hope that it would work on this as well. Deep down, though, he knew it was futile. It had taken him two full years to find a book which explained the Cruciatus curse in detail, and a further two years to develop a counter for it. For all his searching, he had never found any information on this, the worst of the three unforgivable curses. He shut his eyes as the green light drew closer, so close he could almost touch it. He felt it touch the tip of his wand, felt the searing pain as it buried itself in his forearm, driving closer and closer to his core, felt the blast of wind and the barrage of splinters hit his face, piercing through the lids of his eyes as... Wait. His Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had told him that Avada Kedavra was painless, so why was there such a searing pain in his arm? And why did the light seem to be fading, when he was certain he was still alive? Gingerly, he opened his eyes again. The scene which greeted him was not quite what he had been expecting. The Death Eaters were all unconscious, with the exception of Brock, who was nowhere to be seen. Also, there were several teachers present in nightgowns and pyjamas, with more and more arriving every second. Everything seemed quite blurred, though, and the pain in his arm was gone... Waffles glanced down at the arm in question, to find that he was still gripping the handle of his wand. The rest had splintered, apparently from the impact of the curse, and was buried in his forearm. Strangely, though, there was no blood. How odd. I shall have to look into this-
He gasped as he remembered the splinters which had struck his face. They definitely entered my eyes, which means I should be blind... Am I blind? Is this all just a figment of my imagination? I can't tell... How odd. What's more, I feel rather drowsy. This floor's starting to look really rather soft; I think I might take a nap... The last thing he remembered was someone calling to catch him, and rushing footsteps which arrived too late.
It turned out the floor wasn't as soft as it looked.
* * * * *
April 27, 1984. 2:15 a.m.
The green light was rushing towards him, faster and faster. His wand would not be able to stop it, and he was not fast enough... This was it; this was the end, and all he could think about was...
His eyes blinked open for a moment, then shut again immediately as he flinched from the light. When they reopened, slowly, he realised that it was not the light of the sun which had dazzled him, but that of the moon. He gently eased himself up, glancing around the room as he did so.
Well, I'm certainly in the hospital wing, and as far as I can tell I can see, so all's well as far as that's concerned. However... He looked up at the calendar, already dreading what he would find. Three days?! I was unconscious for three blasted days?! But... The OWLS – I have to get to work! Immediately he leapt out of his bed, then collapsed onto it again as the room began to spin.Evidently, his body required a little longer to recover.
When he awoke once more, the light which dazzled him was the light of the sun. However, he didn't focus on it for long. He sat bolt upright in a instant, then braced his arms to heave himself out of bed.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The soft, light, musical voice filled the room for a moment, but was gone as suddenly as it had come. Waffles froze.
"Alicia? What are you - ?" He spluttered as he turned to face the intruder/visitor.
"Don't move, silly. You'll open it up again."
"What are you-" He was silenced as pain shot up his right arm, causing him to fall back onto his bed. As he waited impatiently for the white spots before his eyes to fade, the sweet, condescending voice returned.
"I hate to say 'I told you so', but, well, you know." She gave a slight giggle before glaring at him, her voice turning deathly serious.
"Anyway, to answer your question, I'm here to tell you that you're an idiot."
"What? How on Earth is that an acceptable way to talk to someone who's recuperating from a vicious attack from Death Eaters?" Waffles huffed in mock outrage. Of course, he didn't really mind how Alicia talked to him, as long as she was there. However, there was no way he was telling her that.
"You're an idiot. What the hell were you doing outside at midnight? And why did you follow them? Were you trying to get yourself killed?" Were you trying to make me worry?"
"I'm sorry," he said in a sing-song voice, his head tilted to one side. "And anyway, of course I wasn't trying to get killed. I just didn't know who they were. So I figured I might as well follow them and find out."
"Damn it, Waffles. How can you be so clever and so stupid at the same time?" Her eyes narrowed at him, and he laughed, causing pain to shoot up his right side once more.
"You really want to hit me right now, don't you?"
"YES. Just you wait, Adalbert Waffling. The very moment you get released from this place, I swear..." She trailed off as she realised she had been shouting, and people were beginning to stare. As her cheeks began to redden, Waffles laughed again.
"Well then I suppose I shall have to stay here for a while. Which of course means that you'll have to keep on visiting me" he whispered, winking at her. An exasperated sigh was all he got in response.
"Oh, do shut up. Anyway, the reason I came, in addition to dropping off the get-well-soon card from your NEWT-bound brother, and informing you that you are an idiot, was to let you know that you don't need to worry about classwork. I'm taking care of it all." She smiled sweetly "aren't I nice?" Waffles returned her smile, his pain forgotten.
"Thank you, Alicia. You're a life-saver."
"I know. Then again, I do owe you." She grinned "or rather, I did. Past tense." With that, she stood up.
"Anyway, that's pretty much everything. I'll bring you plenty of work later – no need to thank me."
As she turned to leave, she stopped.
"Oh, and by the way..." She turned her head slowly to face him, her clear blue eyes reflecting his own dark brown ones. "Get well soon, will you? Everything's far too quiet nowadays, and Wilbert Slinkhard is getting absolutely insufferable in duelling club lately. It'll be good to have you back." With that, she turned and left Waffles to his thoughts.
* * * * *
May 1, 1984. 11:00 a.m.
"I'm telling you, I'm fine! Let me go!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Waffling, but the Headmaster has requested that you remain here under observation for the time being. Please be patient, while we-"
"I don't have time to be patient! My OWLS are coming up in a month's time and I'm stuck in a hospital bed!" Waffles frantically laced up his shoes as he snapped at Madam Pomfrey, who tutted at him. He opened his mouth to continue, but was silenced by a calm, deep voice from the doorway.
"Calm down, Hairball. You and I both know that you're going to "O" all your exams." The speaker grinned, and Waffles immediately recognised his brother.
Leopold Waffling was, despite their closeness, not nearly as similar to his younger brother as one might have thought. They shared the same dark, brown eyes, but he stood half a head taller than his brother, his straight black hair cropped so short it was almost non-existent. His build was far more evidently powerful than Waffles' deceptively slim frame, and he was often far more reserved than his wacky brother, though his dry wit and fearsome intelligence would show through more often than not. Despite his tough exterior, though, he was extremely kind-hearted, a fact known only to those who had taken the time to look closely enough. Above all, though, he commanded a great deal of respect from his feral sibling – far more than Waffles would ever let on.
"Leo! I thought you were busy studying?" He asked, his previous argument momentarily forgotten.
"I am. But, I was ahead of schedule, and I thought I ought to come and check up on you. You've really got to stop getting into trouble like this, you know." Waffles grinned widely, his brother's presence allowing him to relax far more than he had previously been able to.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hey, how come you haven't kicked Slinkhard's ass yet, anyway?"
Leo sighed loudly. His brother was always so persistent about this... In a way he could see why, but that didn't make him any more inclined to intervene.
"One, because he's just a kid and it would reflect badly on me as Head Boy if I beat him, and two, I don't fight. I've said that before, and it's not going to change."
"But-"
"Fighting over the last piece of cake doesn't count."
Waffles narrowed his eyes at his brother, then shrugged, his smile returning.
"Whatever. I'll beat him soon, anyway. Don't worry! I just need to get out of this bed first..."
"Well, I think you'd best stay for a little longer, just until you feel better."
Waffles opened his mouth to reply, then nodded.
As he left, Leopold sighed to himself. His brother was so ambitious, and so clever, yet he had inherited so little magical ability. Sometimes he worried that he would never be able to prove himself against his rival. However, He mused, It's times like that that he always pulls something out of the bag and surprises us... I wonder what it'll be this time.
Soon after his brother left, Waffles started complaining to Madam Pomfrey again, this time trying a different tactic.
"Mr Waffling, I must recommend that you keep still until your arm has had a chance to mend itself properly – we still can't be sure that the splinter has stopped, and until we are able to remove it it's too-"
"You have to let me go eventually, after all, and anyway, my arm hasn't bothered me at all lately." It was true – he hadn't experienced any pain at all since late the previous evening.
"In fact, I'd even go as far as to say that I've completely heale-".
As Waffles stood to demonstrate his recovery, he was silenced by a burning pain in his arm, followed by blackness.
* * * * *
May 1, 1984. 6:45 p.m.
"It's moving again. Hold him still, Poppy. We must halt it as soon as-"
"The spell isn't working, Headmaster. We've tried everything."
"Have you called for Horace yet? We could do with a sedative."
What's... Going on? Am I dreaming? No... This is different. It hurts...
"We've given him the strongest sleeping draught we have, Headmaster. It's not working!"
"Which is why we need something stronger than can be prepared here. Where is the splinter now?"
I can't see... No, wait... I can see... There's just something in the way. I need to-
"It's still going in deeper. We've immobilised it several times, but the spells don't seem to work."
"Professor that splinter contains the core of the wand. If it reaches his bloodstream..."
"I'm very well aware of the potential consequences, Poppy.
Splinter... Are they talking about me? What is this... what am I seeing... Waffles wondered as he watched the swirling tempest of lights around him. As Dumbledore flicked his wand, he realised. He could see the magic itself.
"It's moving faster, professor!"
"It seems we have no choice. Poppy! Prepare to amputate."
"Professor! To use such a barbaric, muggle-based technique here..."
"Please, Poppy. Now is not the time to question my judgement."
Amputate? What? How dare they? I need this arm... I need this... Body...
"I won't let you take it..."
"Professor, that isn't... His voice... What..."
"It would appear that we are too late."
"I won't let you take... My hope... My... Dreams..." Waffles choked as what felt like a wave of ice crashed down on his heart. "I... I will..." Before he could finish, he was falling.
The bed turned out to be a lot softer than the floor.
* * * * *
May 5, 1984. 7:25 a.m.
"I fear you don't quite understand my situation. After all, I have studies to – I'm sorry, I didn't catch that last bit. What did you say?"
"It is as you heard it. As much as I don't like it, there's nothing more we can do. You're free to go, Mr. Waffling."
"You... You're serious?"
"Unfortunately, yes. However, I would recommend that you take it easy for a while. We're still unsure exactly what your health will be like now that..." Madam Pomfrey trailed off, as it was clear that Waffles had ceased listening: He had started writing a plan of how he was going to make his reappearance.
"I'll wait here, then when this happens, I'll jump down from the rafters like this, and surprise everyone, then I'll say something profound, then..." His mutterings descended into the incomprehensible as he sat back and stared at the ceiling, stroking his chin. Madam Pomfrey sighed to herself. At least he seems all right now.
In spite of his demeanour, though, Waffles was ill at ease. He could tell that something had happened to him, even though the staff refused to admit it. On top of the fact that he caught them looking at him like a bomb which could go off at any time, he also found himself catching glimpses of magic in the air when spells were cast, though it was not as pronounced as it had been the first time.
Ah, well. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal fairly soon. Although... He glanced down at his right arm. The splinter was gone, and with it the pain had also disappeared. However, he felt sure that something had remained, though he could not say what. The strange buzzing sensation which had afflicted his arm was now widespread throughout his body. Perhaps it's still a little too soon to challenge Slinkhard to a rematch. I think I'll leave it a while, at least until I get back into the swing of things.
"Hmm, Let's see..." He glanced down at his watch. "Aha! Saturday! Wonderful!" Madam Pomfrey turned, before realising that Waffles' words were directed neither at her nor at anyone else. She began to walk down the ward, shaking her head in disbelief. That boy... I've never, in all my time... She turned her head once more as she walked, but he was already gone.
* * * * *
May 5, 1984. 8:00 a.m.
Waffles watched silently as people began to file into the old, unused classroom. Apparently the room had once been part of Hogwarts' dungeons, which had long since ceased being used. He grinned as he recalled the manner in which he had convinced Dumbledore to allow him to start up a duelling club. In all fairness, though, there was a great deal of enmity between students, and it really was best that their disputes be settled in a controlled environment, under the supervision of a teacher. The fact that it would also allow Waffles to pursue his personal hobby without being stripped of his prefect's badge was purely coincidence. Speaking of being supervised by a teacher, I should imagine he'll be arriving soon... Aha! There you are. Waffles smiled fondly as he watched Professor Flitwick enter the room. The man was not awfully widely respected among the other students, mainly due to his lack of strictness, but he was nonetheless a genius, and not to mention a duelling champion – something which Waffles and his friends had been most amused by when they found out.
"Is this all of us, then?" Professor Flitwick asked upon entry. Most of the people present were too busy polishing their wands, stretching or talking amongst themselves to respond, but one fifth year piped up,
"No, sir – we're still waiting for the others. I think they're on their way, though... Oh, here they are!"
A few of the others glanced up, then looked back down again.
They looked rather hopeful. I wonder... Were they looking for me? He laughed to himself, then turned his attention away from them as he overheard a trio of third years discussing the new arrivals.
"Hey, that's him, isn't it?"
"Who?"
"Wilbert Slinkhard! He's the best duellist ever!"
Waffles snorted at this, then turned his gaze towards the doorway to confirm that his rival had, in fact, just arrived. He had. Along with his sizeable fanclub.
"Yeah, from what I've heard he accepted a challenge earlier this morning."
Waffles pricked up his ears. An image of his brother flashed in his mind, and Waffles glanced up at where he stood, arms crossed, at the side of the room. I should have known that it would take something like this to drag him away from his work. He turned back to the girls, his mind racing. Who would be dumb enough to do something like that? Even I never managed to beat him... Below him, one of the other third years asked the same question.
"McSweeney said it was that Clarkson girl. You know, the Ravenclaw prefect?"
Waffles froze. Alicia? What on Earth is she thinking? He began to form a frown, then stopped himself. She must have a good enough reason for it. And anyway, I really mustn't worry so much.
He looked towards the doorway again as a wave of muttering spread through the room, now filled with more than forty pupils. Sure enough, Alicia had just arrived. Upon entry, she cast off her shimmering black cloak and took her place in the centre of the room.
She had abandoned her school robes in favour of the perfectly tailored turquoise combat robes Waffles had had tailor made for her birthday. When she had asked "why turquoise?", he had replied that it would be good camouflage, since the majority of the Earth's surface was water, which was often that same colour. Much like the convenience of the duelling club, the fact that it brought out her vivid blue eyes was but a coincidence. Her voluminous, light-brown hair was tied back in preparation for her match against Slinkhard, and her face was deathly serious. From his perch among the rafters she looked, all things considered, rather displeased. Waffles swallowed. This could get messy.
Professor Flitwick recited the rules of the match as Slinkhard swaggered over to Alicia, smirking. When he reached her, he leaned over and whispered in her ear,
"Surprisingly, you look pretty tough standing there. Having said that, though, I think we both know what the outcome of this is going to be. Don't cry too hard when I beat you, 'kay?" Alicia glared at him for a split second, then smiled and whispered back,
"You know, if you let that head of yours get any bigger it may well be fatal when it gets cracked open. Don't cry too hard when you have to go buy a new hat, 'kay?"
"I'm sorry. Was that supposed to be a threat?"
"Interpret it however you like, Wilbert. The fact remains that sooner or later you're going to lose."
"We'll see about that." He turned and took three paces away from her, before turning and taking a long, dramatic bow. Alicia did the same, then drew her wand.
"Wands at the ready, then. Everyone else, please stay back. I will place a barrier around them." Professor Flitwick eyed the two duellists warily as he did so, before addressing Slinkhard.
"Aren't you going to ready your wand, Mr. Slinkhard?"
"No, sir. I don't think I need to, do you?"
Professor Flitwick raised an eyebrow, then shrugged.
"Each to his own, I suppose. Very well. On the count of three, you may begin.One, two, three!"
As the last word left his lips, Alicia sprung into action, darting around her opponent in a wide, sweeping arc. As she did so, her lips formed a long, complex incantation. A slight smile began to form on Slinkhard's lips as he folded his arms.
Waffles leaned backwards until he was hanging like a bat from his beam. His clever eyes took in every last detail of the combatants' movements. What on Earth is she playing at? Furthermore, what on Earth is he playing at? He hasn't even- Waffles' eyes widened as he saw what his rival was hiding. He had not drawn his wand because it was not in its usual place, thrust through his belt like a sword. It was rolled up in his wide sleeves. And his arms were crossed... He opened his mouth to warn Alicia, then stopped himself. She knows what she's doing... I hope. He wondered for a moment what her incantation entailed, then realised. Clever... A spell-amplifier. She's using his cockiness against him. However, where will she go from here?
"Ferula!" She proclaimed, sliding to a halt and projecting her wand towards her opponent as she did so. Immediately, bandages spurted forth from the tip of her wand and began to wind around her opponent, lashing him into place. Tilting her wand, she lifted him from the ground to a point a few metres above it.
"How's the view, Wilbert?"
He merely snarled, struggling against the bandages.
"Unfortunately, you're going to have to stay up there a little bit longer. But don't worry. You'll have company. Avis!"
At her command, a small flock of swallows spiralled out of her wand and began to circle around Slinkhard, darting at him from time to time to peck him. Among the observers there was a mixture of laughter and outrage at Slinkhard's humiliation. Alicia, however, remained as serious as ever as she continued her incantation.
That one was pretty close, Waffles thought to himself as he watched the duel. I'm sure she only just noticed him getting ready to dispel her binding charm. She needs to up her game if she's going to win this one – relying on those birds won't get her anywhere... A blast from below proved him correct. As the smoke cleared, Slinkhard was revealed, standing on the ground as he had been before. The birds and the bandages were nowhere to be seen. Alicia began to recite ever more furiously, her eyes shut in concentration.
"You know, no matter what spell you're preparing there it won't work. You can't beat me." His smirk returned. "I'm just that much better than you," he added in a matter-of-fact voice. Alicia's eyes snapped open, her incantation complete.
"I though I warned you not to be so over-confident. It'll just make it even worse when you fail."
"Care to prove me wrong? Or are you just going to run and hide like your squib friend?"
Waffles' eyes narrowed at Slinkhard then. That nickname really got on his nerves. His rival continued.
"Well, you don't seem to be saying anything, so I'll assume that you are. Ah, well. I suppose I'll have to move this duel on myself. Serpensortia." At his command, a black snake shot out of the tip of his wand and coiled itself up in front of him, ready to strike. The crowd, reassured by Flitwick's barrier, leaned forward as one.
"Of course, that's not all. Engorgio!" To the crowd's horror, the snake began to grow, until its body was almost as thick as its master's, and long enough to stretch across the classroom easily.
"Should I order him to strike, or would you rather give up?" Slinkhard asked, in as condescending a tone as he could muster.
"To be completely honest with you, I'd really prefer it if you stopped underestimating me. Firstly, I thought I made it perfectly clear that I am not afraid of you. And secondly, you seem to be forgetting something. I may not be a perfect wizard like you, Wilbert, but even so if I use an incantation as long as that, there's always got to be a reason for it. This time... Is no exception. Incendio Avifors!"
A huge plume of flame burst forth, arcing outwards to form a gigantic, blazing pattern between the two combatants. Slowly, the flames calmed themselves and flowed inwards, converging and condensing on Alicia's right shoulder. The flames continued to congregate there until even their outline shone so brightly that to look at them was unbearable. Even Slinkhard was forced to shield his eyes. Outside the barrier Professor Flitwick blinked, his mouth agape. Surely a student could not master a spell like that... Only Professor Dumbledore has ever...
Waffles smiled. So she did finish it. I had wondered... This will be interesting. Not just anyone is capable of raising one of those...
Alicia lowered her wand as the flames began to cool and take shape. Even at their very hottest, they had not harmed her. She turned her gaze away from her opponent to face the creature which she had called into being.
"What is your name?"
I am Celestina.
"Do you accept me as your master?"
Are the one who birthed me from the flames?
"I am."
Then I do.
"Very well. Then, Wilbert." She smiled as her opponent removed his arm from his eyes and readied his wand once more. His summoned snake wound itself around his legs and torso protectively.
"Let's see how you and your pet fare... Against my phoenix."
* * * * *
May 5, 1984. 9:15 a.m.
Things were beginning to heat up... Literally. Below Waffles, everyone was perfectly still. Even the audience were deathly tense in anticipation of what was to come. For Waffles, though, the wait was even more unbearable. The heat from the flames had risen in a column, which he happened to be right in the middle of. Deep within him, something began to shift. All this heat... All this energy... I can feel it... I can see it...
Wilbert Slinkhard scowled. This was not supposed to have happened. He had known that Alicia was clever – she was a Ravenclaw after all, not to mention a prefect. But to be able to summon a phoenix... He might have to put more into this duel than he had anticipated. That irritated him greatly.
He barked a command to the great snake, who immediately began to weave its way towards Alicia. As it did so, Slinkhard began to mutter an incantation.
What's he thinking? Wondered Alicia as she launched herself towards the snake. Leaving his familiar unprotected... It doesn't matter what kind of incantation that is; if I can take this out it's all over!
"Stupefy!" The stunning spell lasted but a moment on the magically charged serpent, but that was all Celestina needed. With a flash and a plume of smoke, the phoenix re-ignited herself and rose above her new mistress, a fiery halo beginning to form above her as the fire within her blazed hotter and hotter.
"Now, Celestina!" Alicia commanded as her stunning spell finally broke and the snake coiled itself up, preparing to spring at her. At her word, the phoenix above her opened her mouth.
Slinkhard watched in mock-horror as his snake returned to the smoke from whence it had come, ready for its next summoning. His mask of disbelief remained as his opponent's gaze met his own.
"Do you give up yet, Wilbert? I really can't see how you're going to win from here, I'm afraid."
Slinkhard kept up his act for a few more seconds, until he saw a look of victory come over his opponent's face, then dropped it in an instant.
"It seems that you're forgetting something here. After all, who was it that let you use a binding technique on him? Who was it that let you finish your incantation? And finally, who was it that let you defeat his familiar so that he could have the pleasure of crushing you at the very peak of your confidence?" He let out a harsh laugh. "Oh, my! Your face! Really, in what warped version of reality could you have ever defeated me? Could anyone have ever defeated me?" he laughed again.
What... Why do I feel like this? I'm obviously at an advantage, I still have my familiar. So why... Why do I feel like I can't move? Why do I feel so... Helpless?
"I see you're wondering why you are unable to move. Let me help you somewhat. Aguamenti."
The jet of water never reached Alicia – it was vaporised instantly by the intense heat generated by the phoenix on her shoulder. However, that was what Slinkhard had intended. Around her, something glistened in the vapour, something which was wrapped all around her.
"Do you see now? You were so busy with my familiar that you did not notice my web being weaved." He waved his hand at her to show the hundreds of tips of strings attached to it.
My word... What a day, thought Professor Flitwick to himself. Not one, but two techniques he had been absolutely certain no-one but a teacher could use. However, of the two this one intrigued him more. How, I wonder, did that boy come to learn a spell like that? He brushed his thoughts away as Slinkhard continued,
"And now, my dear, that mistake will cost you the match." With that, he shut his hand sharply, twisting it as he did so. Alicia gasped in pain, managing at the last moment to stifle a cry. With the pain came the silent realisation: The match was over. The strings were infused with magic – even if Celestina were free she would be unable to break them. Below her, the first crimson droplet struck the ground, obscured from view by the shroud of steam. Obscured from view, that is, to all but one.
After all, there was one person present who could see everything.
"Enough!" A figure seemed to appear from nowhere, falling from above and negating Professor Flitwick's barrier effortlessly. A cloud of steam, smoke and detritus arced upwards as it landed, severing the strings in a slicing motion.
"This match is over. Put your wand away, Slinkhard."
As one, the room's eyes shifted to the new arrival's silhouette. Slowly, the dust began to settle. Slinkhard stood there, frozen in his tracks. His eyes narrowed as the air cleared.
"You." His voice dripped with contempt and surprise in equal measure. Waffles cast off his flowing black cloak, and the dust dissipated instantaneously.
"Correct."
* * * * *
Phew! Holy crap, that was long. And the diary's only one quarter done! Oh dear, dear. Anyway, please feel free, as usual, to review, and check out my other fanfic (which I wrote for Christmas) - "The Greatest gift of All" - It's a big ball of Ichihime fluff, but for some reason that was all I was in the mood for writing over Christmas. Ah, well.
...So yes! Please review, and let me know what you're thinking about this part of the storyline – I know it's a little irksome seeing as it's almost entirely original and this is but there you are. I'm going to upload the next part of this bit early next year – it's almost done – but probably won't finish it any time soon, so feel free to request a continuation of the main plotline if that's what you want. After all, the customer is always right!
And yeah, Waffles is different. Of course he is. I invented him. Well. No. I stole his name and occupation. His personality, abilities and fighting style belong to me. So there.
Look forward to seeing how his abilities develop – I know I do!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to hearing what you thought (hopefully).
Yours,
Gem.